City's Alternate Service Delivery Committee to consider modified managed competition for custodial services
October 18, 2012 at 4:05 PM
On October 22, the City's Alternate Service Delivery (ASD) Committee will be meeting to consider using a process known as "modified managed competition" for the contracting out of custodial services.
In July of this year, Winnipeg City Council voted in favour of using this same process to decide the future operation of its golf courses. Under this type of model, the city would like the union to bid as though we were a private company, to manage and run the operations of the golf courses. The Local has made it clear in our presentations to City Council, that unions do not bid on the work of their members.
"For one thing, it's not legal for us to be both the employer and the union," said Local 500 President Mike Davidson. "If our Local becomes a successful bidder, we effectively become the employer and that conflicts with our role as the bargaining agent for the employees," he said.
Throughout the decades, CUPE has worked with the City administration and council on a number of initiatives to help improve services.
"We have never been opposed to working with management for service delivery improvements," said Davidson. "But this modified bidding process, is just another form of privatization," he said.
The contracting out of janitorial functions was listed as one of many recommendations contained in the City's Economic Opportunity Commission (EOC) report authored by Councillor Fielding back in 2007.
"Clearly, we are still seeing the ramifications of the EOC report," said Davidson. "It's both frustrating and concerning, that city council continues to risk the quality of services for its citizens through these constant threats of privatization."
About 53 members of Local 500 provide custodial services for both office buildings and aquatic facilities.
The Local will update the membership as more information becomes available.
